The Wolf at Hogwarts
by Ninianna
Summary: Long after Remus Lupin died, a werewolf named Tala Variel was accepted into the school she thought would forsake her. But she's never known the story of her Grandfather's favorite teacher...


Tala Variel was eleven. Actually, she was eleven and 1/12, but she supposed that didn't matter. Tala was going to Hogwarts. It was amazing really, once she had stopped to think about it. It seemed so unlikely, just barely a week ago. She did know that she was magical. Her parents were magic, so it made sense that she was. Especially since that one time, when she had blown up a frog and made it float away. It wasn't on purpose of course, an accident. Her parents hadn't scolded her, but they actually were very happy.

Anyway, she never would have believed, even with her magical abilities that she could go to Hogwarts. It was a boarding school for Pete's sake! Even at eleven she knew what that meant! It meant that she would be among students 24/7! And with her…condition…well. It didn't seem like a good idea, even now that she knew the precautions that the headmaster had undertaken…

Tala was wandering down the hall of her home, on the top floor. When she couldn't sleep, she came here. It was relaxing. Her mum and dad had only had one child; herself. But they still had an extremely large house, and a lot of money. Neither Tala nor her parents were boastful or overly proud of this fact. Some of it was family money; some of it had been earned by her parents at their respective jobs. But to the three of them, it just was. It wasn't an achievement or a ticket into a high-class society; instead it was something to live on. Tala chose not to dwell on it much.

"Tala, where are you? Tala?" The girl jolted out of her musings. She had been leaning against the window frame of the bay window at the end of the hall. She turned around and ran back down the narrow space to the top of the stairs, peering down to see her red-headed mother at the bottom. Lily Variel was a beautiful woman with her vibrant red hair and her large brown eyes. Her frame was tall and slim, and many people told Tala she took after her mother that way. Because it was absolutely certain that Tala looked nothing like her otherwise. Everyone knew she looked just like her father otherwise.

Tala almost chuckled to herself. _Speak of the devil…_Her father, Corazon, had appeared next to her mother at the foot of the stairs. His warm golden eyes smiled at her, meeting equally golden eyes. Her father was rather short, being only 5'9". He was from America, across the pond, he used to say. His slightly shaggy black-brown hair and copper skin bespoke his Hispanic background.

And even thought Tala had the same hair color as her father, her hair reached halfway down her back, and her copper skin stretched easily and smoothly across her features, whereas his was crinkled into laugh lines that wore well on his welcoming face. The both of them were marked by their distinctive, strong brows, that framed their tawny, amber eyes.

"Tala, mi querida, why are you up so early?" he said, his voice the fluid, low, drawl she could pick out in any crowd.

Then she processed his words."…Early, Papa? It's not early…" she trailed off, realizing that it was, in fact, early. She must have been awake all night.

Her mother chuckled softly, laying a hand on her suddenly grinning husband's arm. "Tala, would you like to go to Diagon Alley today? To get your school things?" Lily doubted that her daughter had even heard the last part, for she had gasped in excitement when she heard the destination. She continued, smiling wryly when her daughter began bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "I think your cousins are coming with us. Al and James said they'd be there, so that means Grandpa Harry and Grandma Ginny too," Her smile widened when Tala raced down the stairs to hug her.

"Really? Jed and Aimee! Oh, mum!" Tala gushed.

"What about me? I'm coming too," Corazon pouted. He winced theatrically when Lily pinched his arm and they both laughed.

Tala watched this interaction with both happiness and a succinct feeling of sadness. Her parents made a beautiful and perfect couple, and they loved each other and their daughter very much. Tala prized her relationship with her parents above all else. She had a few friends, but all of them were her cousins, and they had to be friends with her. Her parents hadn't wanted her among other children since she was five…

And the sadness, while clearly felt, was much harder to explain. Tala could never have what they had. She could never be as close to anyone as anyone normal could. Because you see, Tala was a werewolf.

When she was five, she had climbed out of her small bed in her room on the second floor, and had escaped out of an unlocked door. She had wandered around in the night, enjoying the warm air, and smiling at the stars. But then there had been a snarl from behind her, followed by a low growl, and the sound of running…paws? She had spun around to see a ferocious wolf like creature, mere feet away from her, its bloody jaws spread wide…

After screaming, and agonizing pain, and growls that shook her bones, and spinning stars smashing and exploding in her eyes…It was gone. She briefly remembered seeing a dark figure of a man standing above her before it all went black. The next month saw her in the inside of St. Mungo's, with many potions being forced down her throat, and with many people staying far away once they knew what creature had attacked her. Her savior however, was not one of them. His name was Broden Connell, and he turned out to be the wolf's-werewolf's-brother. Broden had been sitting near the shed his brother had ordered him to put him in during the full moon, trying to tone out the pitiful whines of his brother, merely standing watch. Unfortunately, his brother had dug himself out.

Broden had seen him escape, and had given chase, throwing jinxes and stunners after him, trying to catch up with him. Finally, the wolf had stopped, but only to attack Tala. Broden had caught up, and in his fear, almost blasted his brother off of her. It was him that she had seen before passing out. Broden had taken her St. Mungo's immediately after. They had called her parents and when they arrived, Broden had apologized so thoroughly and vehemently that he had even gone to his knees. Lily and Corazon knew that neither Broden nor his brother were to blame, and had even gone so far as to chastise him for apologizing.

Broden had stayed with Tala during the first two weeks, telling her and her parents in a calm, gentle voice what to expect during a transformation. At the end of the second fortnight, Tala was dreading it. She would never forget the first one. It had been the worst night of her life, because even though she knew what to expect, it still shocked her how painful and awful it truly was.

And now, Tala could hardly believe that she was going to Hogwarts, and that maybe, just maybe, it would be possible to make friends there.

A/N: Well, I know what you're thinking. Did I need to introduce all those brand new names, with only a few familiar ones thrown in? Honestly? I liked them. Here's why:

Tala means Wolf  
Variel means Changeable  
Corazon means Heart, which will make sense later.  
Jed means Friend, as does Aimee, plus, I thought Jed sounded like something James II would name his kid, Aimee sounds something like what Albus might consider.  
Broden means Brother  
Connell means Strong Wolf

Satisfied? Harry and Ginny are obviously surnamed Potter, Al and James, and Jed and Aimee also. Lily II married Corazon Variel after Hogwarts, where he went to school after his family moved to England.


End file.
